Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) announced that “only Saudis” are permitted to work in establishments that provide services of obtaining tourist visas – a step that would reinforce job opportunities for Saudis in the tourism sector.

SCTH decided to stop dealing with those unlicensed from the commission – it also launched the Arabic version of the website besides samples of Arabic applications.

On Wednesday, the National Center for Tourism Human Resources Development (Takamul) organized a workshop to chart out plans for monitoring the Saudization of tourism sector jobs in Saudi Arabia.

During the workshop, an introductory summary of the control plan was provided for Saudization of occupations in tourism activities like tourist accommodation and travel agency sectors. The workshop reviewed the supervisory procedures and the mechanism for monitoring settlement and related irregularities.

The workshop is part of the Takamul’s effort to Saudiaze tourist occupations and raise their proportions in tourist facilities in cooperation with the Department of Licensing, SCTH branches across the Kingdom and the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.

The ministry also participated through its legislation and regulations, and supported the control plan by activating its decisions on the professions reserved for Saudis only.

Takamul aims to achieve the rising Saudization rates in the tourism sector jobs in order to achieve the National Transformation Program 2020 index and ensure sustainability of Suadization in the tourism sector jobs, besides enhancing cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Development in the field of monitoring of professions that are restricted to Saudis in the tourism and national heritage sectors.

The control plan is aimed at several tourism activities, like tourist accommodation, travel and tourism agencies, accommodation marketing facilities, tour operators, tourist guides, timeshare, tourism real estate units, and finally the convention and exhibition sector.

The workshop concluded with an agreement on an integrated mechanism, detailing the tasks required of the branch inspectors, the work machinery and the methods of controlling Saudiztion-related irregularities.